Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Chapter 12 Impact of Waste Accumulation, NBSE Class 9 Environmental Education textbook, which is part of the syllabus of students studying under Nagaland Board. These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
Waste accumulation means the increasing amount of waste in air, land, and water. This waste comes from homes, industries, farms, and cities. It contains harmful chemicals that pollute the environment. These chemicals mix with soil and reach underground water. This water is used for drinking by many people. Waste also makes the air smell bad and look dirty. The area becomes unpleasant to see and live in.
Waste harms the beauty of an area. When garbage is dumped carelessly, it makes places look ugly. Heaps of waste narrow roads and streets. Waste dumped in open areas attracts insects, rats, and flies. These pests spread diseases like diarrhea and malaria. Sewage is often released into rivers or low-lying areas. This creates a foul smell and makes the area dirty. Markets selling vegetables and fish often leave rotting waste. Factories and mines add to the problem by releasing toxic waste without following rules.
Pollution happens when waste contaminates air, water, and land. Municipal waste comes from homes and businesses. Most of it can break down naturally but needs proper handling. If not managed well, it spreads diseases like cholera. Industrial waste contains dangerous substances. Factories release heavy metals into the soil and water. Plants absorb these metals, and animals eating these plants get sick. Humans consuming such plants face health problems. Nuclear waste is very dangerous. It stays radioactive for thousands of years and can harm all life forms.
Waste affects both land and water life. On land, pollutants enter the food chain. Plants and animals absorb harmful chemicals. This leads to sickness in humans and animals. In water, waste destroys fish and other creatures. Rivers and lakes become polluted when sewage and industrial waste are dumped into them. Too much waste in water causes algae to grow. This uses up oxygen and suffocates other living things. Oil spills in oceans kill fish and sea birds.
Improper waste management causes serious health risks. Air pollution leads to breathing problems and lung diseases. Solid waste breeds germs that spread diseases. Water pollution causes illnesses like cholera. Land pollution reduces soil fertility and harms crops. Mining and industrial work expose people to dust and chemicals. This causes diseases like silicosis and cancer. Workers in nuclear plants are at risk of radiation exposure.
Eutrophication happens when too many nutrients enter water. This causes excessive algae growth. Algae use up oxygen in the water. Other living things then struggle to survive. Heavy metals like cadmium and chlorine harm aquatic life. Waste from agriculture and factories adds to the problem. Groundwater gets polluted when waste mixes with it. This affects plants, animals, and humans who depend on it. People must find ways to reduce waste and keep the environment clean.
Textbook solutions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Industrial wastes contain:
A. Heavy metals
B. Chemicals
C. Both (A) and (B)
D. None
Answer: C. Both (A) and (B)
2. Which disease is not spread by municipal waste?
A. Cholera
B. Dysentery
C. Both (A) and (B)
D. Scurvy
Answer: D. Scurvy
3. Workers inhaling cotton dust are infected with a disease called:
A. Asthma
B. Brown lung
C. Heart attack
D. All of these
Answer: B. Brown lung
4. Heavy concentration of which element in water can destroy the fish population?
A. Cadmium
B. Chlorine
C. Lead
D. None
Answer: B. Chlorine
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Name the heavy metals of industrial waste?
Answer : The heavy metals of industrial waste include cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury.
2. Name the organisms that spread the virus among people.
Answer : The organisms that spread the virus among people are mosquitoes and flies.
3. What is eutrophication?
Answer : Eutrophication is the process where excessive nutrients are added to water when domestic sewage or agricultural waste is released into it. This leads to excessive growth of algae that consumes most of the oxygen in the water, causing the remaining organisms in the water to not get proper oxygen, leading to their suffocation and death.
4. Give any one effect of freshwater pollution.
Answer : One effect of freshwater pollution is that it can destroy the biotic life of the region due to toxic elements present in the waste that industries and cities drain into rivers.
Short Answer Questions
1. Describe the role of polythene bags in damaging the environment?
Answer : Polythene bags play a significant role in damaging the environment as they make up a major part of municipal waste. When discarded improperly, these bags often lead to drain clogging, which results in stagnant water. This stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects, contributing to health hazards.
2. Which are the chief sources of industrial waste?
Answer : The chief sources of industrial waste are:
(i) Chemical units
(ii) Thermal power plants
(iii) Petrochemical plants
(iv) Oil refineries
(v) Steel industries
(vi) Paints
(vii) Batteries
3. What is the effect of agricultural waste?
Answer : The effects of agricultural waste include:
(i) After harvesting, crop residue, which is a major agricultural waste, is often burned in fields. This kills the much-needed organic life in the soil. The ash produced after burning floats in the air and negatively affects human health.
(ii) Threshing activities release waste in the form of straw. Its particles remain suspended in the air, impacting health, especially for asthmatic patients.
(iii) Dairy farming contributes to making the air stinking.
(iv) Agricultural waste has the potential to generate energy in the form of biogas, bio-fuels, and dung cakes, but improper handling adversely affects the environment.
Answer : The waste generated by nuclear energy plants contains radioactive material and remains radioactive for thousands of years. It can destroy all kinds of life and bring harm to future generations as well. Places where nuclear weapons are made also generate a lot of nuclear waste. Wherever this waste is dumped or released, the environment is very severely affected because all kinds of organisms are killed or adversely affected. On land, the soil cannot support any life. If it percolates to groundwater or is released into any water body, the total aquatic life is destroyed. If released in air, all those organisms inhaling that air will be affected. The biggest problem being discussed the world over is to find the place where this waste can be dumped.
5. How does groundwater get polluted?
Answer : Pollutants from waste accumulation mix with the underground water, which is the major source of drinking water for most of the population. The scattered waste reaches the waterbodies through run-off or percolates down and pollutes the groundwater. Industrial waste contains heavy metals that mix in the soil and are later absorbed by plants, eventually reaching groundwater. Agricultural activities also contribute to groundwater pollution when chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers seep into the ground. Additionally, pollutants leach into groundwater from dumps and landfills, posing serious health risks.
Long Answer Questions
1. Waste damages the aesthetics of an area. Discuss.
Answer : Waste accumulation damages the aesthetics of the area when it is dumped in an improper way, giving the landscape an unpleasant look. Uncontrolled dumping of urban waste damages the beauty of the countryside. Domestic waste is often dumped in open grounds, which looks very ugly. Indiscriminate dumping of waste causes adverse effects on public health and becomes a breeding place for insects, rats, flies, etc. Disposal of sewage into rivers or low-lying areas gives a foul smell and bad look to the area. Vegetable markets and fish markets in many cities are associated with rotting waste that gives a foul smell. Many industries do not follow prescribed laws and rules for proper disposal of industrial waste. The landscape of heavy mining areas is called a ghost town because of its dreadful appearance.
2. Describe the effects of municipal waste.
Answer : The effects of municipal waste are:
(i) Municipal wastes mainly contain household waste and sometimes commercial waste.
(ii) Most of this waste is biodegradable and may not pose a serious threat to the environment if handled properly.
(iii) When solid municipal waste is improperly disposed of, it can lead to the growth of bacteria and viruses.
(iv) Diseases like cholera and dysentery may spread in the neighborhood.
(v) Lack of proper disposal techniques for municipal waste pollutes water bodies, leading to changes in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of water.
(vi) Scattered waste reaches water bodies through run-off or percolates down, polluting groundwater.
(vii) Soil gets polluted and becomes infertile, resulting in decreased agricultural productivity.
(viii) Polythene bags, a major part of municipal waste, cause drain clogging, leading to stagnant water that becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects.
3. Describe the dangers posed to the health of industrial workers.
Answer : The dangers posed to the health of industrial workers are: (i) Industrial workers, miners, and potters are exposed to silica dust, which can infect them with silicosis, a lung disease.
(ii) Workers in deep coal mines inhale fine coal dust, leading to a disease called black lungs.
(iii) Soot, a black dust given out by fire, causes skin cancer.
(iv) Potters are exposed to lead glazes, which cause neurological diseases.
(v) Workers in matchbox factories are exposed to phosphorus, which causes bone diseases.
(vi) Workers inhaling cotton dust are infected with a disease called brown lung.
(vii) Radiation can lead to severe health hazards.
(viii) Effects of non-ionizing radiation at low levels are uncertain, but ionizing radiation at high levels can cause cancer and increase chromosome damage.
(ix) Workers at nuclear shipyards are most prone to such radiations.
4. How is terrestrial life affected by waste?
Answer : Terrestrial life is affected by waste in the following ways:
(i) All types of terrestrial life are affected by wastes.
(ii) Pollutants from waste enter the environment and become part of the food chain, accumulating in the bodies of organisms at different levels. For example, insecticides and pesticides used by farmers mix with water. Animals drinking that water may get infected, plants growing in that area may absorb these chemicals and get infected, and humans consuming these plants may also get infected.
(iii) Industrial waste contains toxic materials that leach into the soil, affecting plants, rodents, and microorganisms.
(iv) Cadmium, a silvery-white element produced from artificial phosphate fertilizers, is carried by fodder to livestock, affecting the kidneys of animals. Earthworms die immediately due to cadmium concentration in the soil.
5. Explain the effects of waste on the life in freshwater.
Answer : The effects of waste on freshwater life are as follows:
(i) At many places, the sewage of cities is drained into rivers, spoiling the river water. Many industries also drain their waste into rivers, which contains toxic elements that can destroy the biotic life of that region.
(ii) A heavy concentration of chlorine in water can destroy the fish population. Ammonia is released into the water in large quantities, which is poisonous to fish.
(iii) Many cities obtain their drinking water from rivers or canals, but such water becomes unfit for drinking purposes due to waste accumulation.
(iv) Various chemicals released as waste by factories and agricultural practices are soluble in water. This water slowly seeps down to join underground water, which is a major source of drinking water, thereby affecting the life of the region.
(v) DDT, widely used by humans, can reach water and destroy aquatic life.
(vi) Acid rain pollutes rivers and lakes, adversely affecting aquatic life.
Extras
Additional questions and answers
1. What is waste accumulation?
Answer : Waste accumulation refers to the increasing concentration of waste in air, land, and water. It results in toxic chemicals in the garbage that we throw at various places, which become pollutants and affect the environment.
31. How does waste accumulation cause imbalance in nature?
Answer : Waste accumulation causes imbalance in nature by contaminating natural resources like air, water, and land, affecting the entire biosphere. The pollutants from waste become part of the food chain, accumulating in the bodies of organisms at different levels. This leads to the infection of plants, animals, and humans who consume them. Additionally, waste accumulation damages terrestrial and aquatic life, disrupts ecosystems, reduces biodiversity, and creates health hazards for all forms of life.
Additional MCQs
1. What is waste accumulation?
A. Increasing waste levels
B. Waste recycling
C. Waste reduction
D. Proper disposal
Answer: A. Increasing waste levels
41. The major challenge with nuclear waste disposal is finding a:
A. Dumping site
B. Recycling process
C. Energy recovery
D. Neutralisation
Answer: A. Dumping site
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